Continuous Steel Frame? ATT Passport

Wait a second...does the ATT Passport still feature a stainless steel frame like the original? Or is that just a decorative band?

Because if that is a continuous steel frame, then the ATT might have more structural integrity than the original Passport, making this a worthy upgrade to the rigidity of the frame, and not just a weird aesthetic sidegrade.

The original Passport has a frame that is split at the USB port, causing torquing of the frame...very easily I might add.

No, the original Passport has a non-continuous steel frame. This can be seen in the photos I attached. However, it is structural. But because it is broken where the USB port lies, the rigidity is compromised when it comes to forces that cause torsion around the vertical axis of the phone.

It appears the redesign does have a continuous steel frame, though the questions is whether it's structural or not. I'd imagine it would need to be, especially as it acts as a heatsink in the current model.

I dunno. Looking at the picks from the hands on article that was posted; It has a break on both sides between the middle and bottom rows of keys, also, looking at the shot from the bottom (looking at the usb port) It doesnt look like it's very thick. So I dont know how strong it would be. I'd love to see a break down of it tho.

It looks the same as on the Q10 as there are marks on either side of the frame showing that the frame is not one continuous piece. The bottom piece is connected to the upper piece. Take the example of the Q10, the bottom piece is plastic. That would weaken the frame a bit. But we need to see inside because the frame may go inside as well.

It looks the same as on the Q10 as there are marks on either side of the frame showing that the frame is not one continuous piece. The bottom piece is connected to the upper piece. Take the example of the Q10, the bottom piece is plastic. That would weaken the frame a bit. But we need to see inside because the frame may go inside as well.

Posted from my Passport

Very interesting observation. That changes a lot. I wonder why the original didn't need the plastic to make the antenna work. Because the steel frame was non-continuous? I'm not terribly aware of best practice antenna design. But I do remember the iPhone 4 antenna design.

Very interesting observation. That changes a lot. I wonder why the original didn't need the plastic to make the antenna work. Because the steel frame was non-continuous? I'm not terribly aware of best practice antenna design. But I do remember the iPhone 4 antenna design.

Posted via CB10

The current Classic also uses plastic for the bottom part of the frame around the phone. It is even visible on some good quality pictures of the phone, especially because BlackBerry couldn't match the two silver color tones as good as they managed to match the black tone on the Q10. Taking a look at the white Q10 also reveals a slightly visible difference in tones with the bottom part of the frame.

In addition have a look at renders of the Passport, revealing it's internal construction: The steelframe looks like it is a single, massive piece, it runs around behind/below the USB port.

Posted via CB10

EDIT: You can even spot the two part frame for the AT&T Passport on the very first picture of the CrackBerry hands-on gallery. If you look close enough, you'll also notice the same on the Classic which is right beside the rounded Passport.

It looks the same as on the Q10 as there are marks on either side of the frame showing that the frame is not one continuous piece. The bottom piece is connected to the upper piece. Take the example of the Q10, the bottom piece is plastic. That would weaken the frame a bit. But we need to see inside because the frame may go inside as well.

Posted from my Passport

The Q10 phones have a one piece steel outer band. I have fixed a couple screen and the band around the phone is one piece.

The Q10 phones have a one piece steel outer band. I have fixed a couple screen and the band around the phone is one piece.

Posted via CB10

Are you absolutely sure about that? I can spot a tiny gap on both sides of my black Q10, also the upper side feels a bit colder than the lower. On the white Q10, you can even scrap off the silver paint from that lower part, revealing white plastic underneath. There was a topic about it from maaaany months ago on the Q10 forums.

Watch the Passport design story video on YouTube. The frame needs to be broken if it is going to work as the RF antenna. The frame on the AT&T variant, as well as the classic and Q10 are not a one piece either. The bottom of the frame is separate from the top of the frame, leaving a division line on both sides. I like that the original Passport broke the frame at the USB because the bands at the side of the device flow continuously with no line.

Are you absolutely sure about that? I can spot a tiny gap on both sides of my black Q10, also the upper side feels a bit colder than the lower. On the white Q10, you can even scrap off the silver paint from that lower part, revealing white plastic underneath. There was a topic about it from maaaany months ago on the Q10 forums.

Posted via CB10

I just looked at a Q10 I have here and can't say for sure if it is a one piece frame without taking it apart. I had a Q10 all the way apart to replace this ring with a red one a while back and both the new and old rings were one piece, though the red one seemed to be made out of a composite rather than metal. It is possible there is a glued joint where we see the lines on the Q10 and the bottom may be a plated plastic piece.

Watch the Passport design story video on YouTube. The frame needs to be broken if it is going to work as the RF antenna. The frame on the AT&T variant, as well as the classic and Q10 are not a one piece either. The bottom of the frame is separate from the top of the frame, leaving a division line on both sides. I like that the original Passport broke the frame at the USB because the bands at the side of the device flow continuously with no line.

Passported to you with a touch enabled keyboard!

Ahh this is the answer I was looking for. So I'm curious about the Q10 design, now. It used the plastic chin-section of the band (plastic) as the antenna, right? Does this mean that the metal band on the Classic and ATT passport is only structural or aesthetic? Not a part of the antenna as the Passport's is?

Very interesting stuff. I'll be looking forward to a complete disassembly of the new Passport, but in the meantime, maybe we can glean some information from the Classic's internal design. Any experts?

I think the metal bands in blackberry devices are there for not only structural reinforcement, which I'm sure helps a lot, but to also make them stand out in a sea of android plastic. Expensive plastic.